1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the computer-aided design of circuits, and, more particularly, to methods and systems that may be used in the context of a replacement of first circuit symbols in a circuit schematic with second circuit symbols.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the computer-aided design of electronic circuits, electronic design automation tools may be used. Electronic design automation tools may be provided in the form of software that includes instructions that can be carried out by a computer for processing data representing circuit schematics. The circuit schematics can include circuit symbols that represent circuit elements such as, for example, transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors and inductivities. Additionally, the circuit schematics can include wires that represent electrical connections between the circuit elements.
The data representing a circuit schematic can define positions and orientations of circuit symbols, wires and/or elements thereof, which define positions and orientations at which the circuit symbols, wires and elements thereof are drawn, for example, on a computer monitor and/or a printout of the circuit schematic. These positions are typically different from positions and orientations at which circuit elements and electrical connections are provided in an actual physical implementation of the circuit.
Each circuit symbol can include one or more so-called pins, which can be used for defining connections to portions of a circuit element. For example, a circuit symbol for a field effect transistor can typically have gate, source, drain and, optionally, bulk pins. The pins can be used for defining electrical connections to the circuit element in the circuit, wherein an electrical connection can be considered as having been made to a portion of a circuit element when an end of a wire representing the electrical connection is provided at the position of the pin, in particular, when the end of the wire touches a pin shape such as, for example, a rectangle or a circle, that is centered at the position of the pin.
In addition to pins, the circuit symbol can include an artwork, being a drawing of an icon used to represent an electronic device, as well as parameters and/or text.
Positions of circuit symbols and elements thereof, in particular positions of pins, can be defined on a grid that determines the minimum granularity for the placement thereof.
In the semiconductor industry, process design kits (PDKs) can be provided by foundries. In addition to design rules, simulation models of transistors and layout information, process design kits can define circuit symbols for use in electronic design automation tools. While there have been some attempts to provide a standardization of circuit symbols used in process design kits, such as, for example, the OpenPDK schematic symbol standard (see, for example, the document “OpenPDK Schematic Symbol Standard,” V1.0, May 24, 2012, published by the Silicon Integration Initiative, Inc. (Si2™), ISBN: 1-882750-63-2), process design kits wherein proprietary circuit symbols are employed are still in use. These proprietary circuit symbols can differ from standard circuit symbols, in particular, with respect to locations of pins, as well as size, origin, rotation and/or reflections of circuit symbols.
When a circuit schematic is to be converted from a first process design kit to a second process design kit, for example from a process design kit wherein proprietary circuit symbols are used to a process design kit wherein standard circuit symbols, such as circuit symbols in accordance with the OpenPDK V1.0 Standard, are used, issues can occur which can, in particular, be related to different positions of pins. Since, as described above, positions of pins can be relevant for determining the connection of devices, replacing circuit symbols from the first process design kit with circuit symbols from the second process design kit having different pin positions can lead to a loss of connectivity. Therefore, further adjustments, in addition to a replacement of circuit symbols, may be necessary.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0039846 discloses an information processing method that includes identifying, by a computer, a first component of a first category included in circuit data including a plurality of components, when receiving a first instruction to replace the first component with a second component of a second category; generating layers on which the second component is to be arranged; acquiring correlation between a pin of the first component and a pin of the second component; and replacing the first component with the second component arranged on the layers based on the correlation.
Known methods for converting circuit schematics from a first process design kit to a second process design kit typically rely on empirical user-defined mapping files or similar lookup mechanisms, the provision of which can require a relatively large amount of work. Furthermore, in some cases, manual input from a user for replacing, rotating, moving and/or rewiring circuit symbols may be required.
The present disclosure provides methods and system that can help to substantially overcome or at least reduce some or all of the above-described issues.